The Asia Society, a corporate sponsored group purporting to have an interest in Asian culture, is hosting a speech in New York today by Wing Aung, the Foreign Minister for Burma’s military junta. Over 1,500 political prisoners languish in Burma’s jails under the country’s repressive regime, which boasts the dubious title of holding the youngest prisoner of conscience–a three year old boy.

Myanmar has sentenced a second British activist to hard labor for protesting against the military government, drawing the concern of family members and diplomats, and further attention to political repression in the former Burma.

18 students who were deported from Burma last week are denouncing the military government. The students were arrested for passing out pro-democracy literature to the Burmese people. Specifically, the students passed out cards telling people to remember the ten-year anniversary of an uprising against the military regime. The students were tried, convicted, and sentenced to five years hard labor. They were immediately deported after receiving...

International pressure on the Burmese military junta was stepped up yesterday to release 18 foreign activists detained in Rangoon on Sunday for distributing pro-democracy leaflets on the tenth anniversary of a bloody massacre by government troops. The group includes six U.S. college students from the Free Burma Coalition.

"Burma’s military junta has locked up more than 1,000 pro-democracyactivists in recent years. Long prison sentences under harsh conditionsare debilitating enough, but another threat in the cellblocks is helpingthe government eliminate its opposition: AIDS." — That’s the beginning ofa recent Boston Globe article, also featured in the San Francisco Guardian,by investigative reporters Dennis Bernstein and Leslie Kean.

Burmese democracy activists have long charged that the military regime in the Asian country has been deeply involved in the illegal trafficking of heroin. Now a new report in The Nation magazine this week not only examines official Burmese government corruption, but ties US investment banks to the dirty business of laundering drug money.

The government of Burma this week launched a crackdown on pro-democracy activists, arresting at least 50 members of Nobel Peace Prize winner Mrs Aung San Suu Kyi’s political party — the National League for Democracy.

The arrests came as US sanctions against the military regime of Burma —-known as SLORC -— came into effect this week. The Clinton administrationhas banned new investment in Burma, but continues to allow...

The government of Burma this week launched a crackdown on pro-democracy activists, arresting at least 50 members of Nobel Peace Prize winner Mrs Aung San Suu Kyi’s political party — the National League for Democracy.

The arrests came as US sanctions against the military regime of Burma —-known as SLORC -— came into effect this week. The Clinton administrationhas banned new investment in Burma, but continues to allow...

In recent weeks, Burma’s military leadership has launched attacks on the only remaining ethnic group that his resisted the dictatorship — the Karens and their organization the Karen National Union. Thousands have fled their homes and villages, fleeing toward neighboring Thailand.

Groups ranging from Amnesty International to the U.S. Refugee Committee have condemned the offensive by Burma’s State Law and Order Restoration...

The Burmese students staged a small scale brief protest in the capital city in which they played hide and seek with the military. With the crackdown in Burma, we will talk to Aung San Suu Kyi the head of the National League for Democracy believed to be the rightful president of Burma and also a Noble peace prize winner. She talks about the changes of the last few weeks. She also talks in support of the student demonstrations and the arrested...

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